Connectivity Analysis Get Started
You can start using ForwardKeys to analyse the air connectivity of the destination(s) of your interest using Actual Air Reservations dataset.
- Find parameters for connectivity analysis
- Set up parameters and run a query
- Final reminder just in case
Find parameters for connectivity analysis
Parameters for air connectivity analysis are only available in “Standard” and “Advanced” parameter panel views. The information is only available in the query results when you select to run “Full” analysis.
Set up parameters and run a query
Firstly, set up the essential parameters for any normal query. Here is a checklist:
- Point of Interest (Destination)
- Lengths of stay at POI
- Travel period – either arrival or overnights dates
- Trip Origin – at least select “exclude domestic”
- (Time) Scale for the travel period to be analysed
- Granularity for Trip Origin locations
The scenarios for you to decide what parameters to set up
Do you want to use “Combined Steps” parameters? Use the switching arrow to retrieve it.
Inbound Gateways parameters
Inbound Gateways: Displays all the locations where travellers stopped before reaching the Point of Interest (your destination). By filtering on this parameter, you can monitor traveller flow from specific transit hubs to your destination.
Last Gateways before POI: Displays the last inbound gateways from which travellers travelled to the Point of Interest (your destination).
Number of Inbound Gateways: Counts the number of stops a traveller made before reaching the Point of Interest (your destination), from 0 (direct flight) to 5 or more stays/stops. By filtering on this parameter, you can isolate trends from connectivity circumstances.
Lengths of the Stay at Inbound Gateways: Indicates the number of nights spent at an inbound gateway before reaching the Point of Interest (your destination). This information can be used as a filter to differentiate transfer travellers (transfer means the traveller stays less than a day at the stops) from those who have several stops during their trips.
Transport to Inbound Gateways: Shows the transportation method used to reach inbound gateways. Please refer to our glossary for further detail on each of the methods: surface arrival or air arrival.
Inbound Gateways Display Choices: This is a display filter for Inbound Gateways scale. You can choose to display them by airport terminals, airports, cities, regions/states, countries, or subcontinents.
Totals by Transport (merge or distinguish air from surface arrivals): Arrivals can be shown merging surface and air transportation to a destination, or alternatively they can be shown separately.
Trips with only matching gateways, or not: A filter that pre-defines the applied scale of the Inbound Gateways filters. By default, the system applies “Trips with matching steps, show only those steps.”
Itinerary examples to understand Inbound Gateways
Trip 1: London to Hong Kong (4 nights) and then back to London.
London is the Trip Origin.
Hong Kong is the Point of Interest (destination).
There are no inbound gateways for this trip.
Number of inbound gateways is 0 (direct from origin).
Trip 2: London to Dubai (2 hrs) to Tokyo Narita (3 nights) to Hong Kong (4 nights) and then back to London.
London is the Trip Origin.
Hong Kong is the Point of Interest (destination).
Without setting up any Inbound Gateways parameters:
- Both Dubai and Tokyo are inbound gateways before arriving in Hong Kong, thus there are 2 inbound gateways for this trip.
- Tokyo is the Last Inbound Gateways before arriving in Hong Kong.
If you set up lengths of stay at inbound gateways as 1 to 22+ nights:
- Only Tokyo will show up as a qualified inbound gateway: the passenger stays 3 nights.
- Number of inbound gateways is still 2.
If you choose to show inbound gateways AIRPORTS:
- Tokyo Narita (NRT) will be specified as there are two international airports in Tokyo, it may be of your interest to know which one.
Further Destinations parameters
Further Destinations: Displays all the locations where travellers went after visiting the Point of Interest (your destination).
First Subsequent Destination: Displays the first further destination where travellers went from the Point of Interest (your destination).
Number of Further Destinations: Counts the number of further destinations the travellers visit after the Point of Interest (your destination) and before the end of their trips from 1 stay/stop to 5 or more stays/stops.
Length of the Stay at Further Destinations: Indicates number of nights stayed at each further destination after the Point of Interest (your destination). This information can be used as a filter to take a closer look travellers on combined trips.
Transport to Further Destinations: Shows the transportation method to reach the further destination(s), by air or surface travel.
Further destinations Display Choices: This is a display filter for location scale. You can choose to display the further destinations by airport terminals, airports, cities, regions/states, countries, or sub-continents.
Totals by Transport (merge or distinguish air from surface arrivals): Arrivals can be shown merging surface and air transportation to a destination or they can be shown separately.
Trips with only matching destinations or not: A filter that pre-defines the applying scale of the further destinations filters. By default, the system applies “Trips with matching destinations, show only those destinations.”
Itinerary examples to understand Further Destinations
Trip 1: London to Hong Kong (4 nights) and then back to London.
London is the Trip Origin.
Hong Kong is the Point of Interest (destination).
Without setting up any Further Destinations parameters:
Number of further destination is 1, which is London.
Trip 2: London to Dubai (2 hrs) to Hong Kong (4 nights) to Tokyo Narita (3 nights) and then back to London.
London is the Trip Origin.
Hong Kong is the Point of Interest (destination).
Without setting up any Further Destination parameters:
- Both Tokyo and London are further destinations after leaving Hong Kong, thus there are 2 further destinations for this trip.
- Tokyo is the First Subsequent Destination Inbound Gateways after leaving Hong Kong.
If you set up lengths of stay at further destinations as 1 to 22+ nights:
- Only Tokyo will show up as a qualified further destination: the passenger stays 3 nights.
- Number of further destinations is still 2.
If you choose to show further destination AIRPORTS:
- Tokyo Narita (NRT) will be specified as there are two international airports in Tokyo, it may be of your interest to know which one.
Combined Steps parameters
Combined Steps: Displays all the other locations where travellers went before or after visiting your destination.
Step Connecting with POI: Displays the last location prior to arriving at the Point of Interest and the first location after visiting the Point of Interest.
Number of Other Steps: Counts the number of other stops a traveller makes during the entire trip from 0 to 5 or more stays/stops.
Length of Stay at Other Steps: Indicates the number of nights the traveller(s) stayed at each other step. This information can be used as a filter to take a closer look at the travellers on combined trips.
Transport to Other Steps: Shows the transportation method to other steps, by air or surface travel.
Combined Destinations Display Choices: This is a display filter for location scale. You can choose to display combined destinations by airport terminals, airports, cities, regions/states, countries, or subcontinents.
Totals by Transport (merge or distinguish air from surface arrivals): Arrivals can be shown merging surface and air transportation to a step or alternatively they can be shown separately.
Trips with only matching gateways or not: A filter that pre-defines the applied scale of the COMBINED DESTINATIONS filters. By default, the system applies “Trips with matching steps, show only those trips.”
Itinerary examples to understand Combined Steps
Trip 1: London to Hong Kong (4 nights) and then back to London.
Trip 2: London to Dubai (2 hrs) to Hong Kong (4 nights) to Tokyo Narita (2 hrs) and then back to London.
Trip 3: London to Dubai (2 hrs) to Hong Kong (4 nights) to Tokyo Narita (3 nights) and then back to London.
Trip 4: London to Dubai (2 hrs) to Tokyo Narita (3 nights) to Hong Kong (4 nights) and then back to London.
Trip 5: London to Dubai (2 hrs) to Tokyo Narita (3 nights) to Hong Kong (4 nights) to Shanghai (2 nights) and then back to London.
London is the Trip Origin.
Hong Kong is the Point of Interest (destination).
If we set up lengths of stay at combined steps as 1 to 22+ nights (meaning passengers really stay overnights so to make the step(s) real destinations during their trips):
Trip 1 and Trip 2 have no qualified combined steps.
Trip 3 and Trip 4 have Tokyo as a qualified combined step.
Trip 5 has both Tokyo and Shanghai as qualified combined steps.
Now you are ready for an air connectivity analysis! Don’t forget to select “Full” analysis – the query will take slightly more time to display the relevant segmentation information for your analysis.
